"Los Bandoleros" (English: "The Outlaws") is short film within the franchise of The Fast and the Furious. It takes place after the events of the first film, and serves as an immediate prequel to Fast & Furious. Released in July 8, 2009, it features Vin Diesel, Sung Kang, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Omar, and Tego Calderon.
Ever since he was let go by Brian O'Connor and becoming a runaway fugitive, Dominic Toretto has spent the last five years in the Dominic Republic with his friend, Rico Santos (Don Omar). When Santos' aunt and other local residents are in danger of going into deeper poverty as a result of rising fuel costs, Dom and his crew organize a meeting with local politician Elvis to set up a highjacking a fuel tanker, after which they plan to give away the fuel to the community. Meanwhile, Letty tracks down Dom in the DR, where the two rekindle their romance.
Tropes
- Advertised Extra: Since the film is a prequel to F&F 4, Brian and Mia are featured on the poster, but do not appear in the short film itself. Ultimately justified since it takes place in the Dominican Republic, and Brian and Mia are still in the States (though the latter is indirectly mentioned by Letty).
- Big Brother Instinct: Dom goes silent in the car ride near the end of the film, to which Letty instantly knows that he is worried about his sister who's still in the States. She assures Dom that Mia is alright.
- Cardboard Prison: Santos is able to break his buddy Leo from prison by merely cutting a hole in the fence located behind the prison.
- Fanservice: Letty spends the last few minutes of the film in nothing but short shorts and a bikini top.
- Foreshadowing: Tego announces to the other prisoners from the jail cell he is in that he won't be in there for long, so they'll have to learn to fend for themselves. Surely enough the following night, he is broken out by Rico, Dom, and Han.
- Fugitive Arc: Dom has spent the last five years hiding out in the Dominican Republic since he is still a wanted man back in the States.
- Funny Foreigner: Han is treated this way In-Universe by the other characters (minus Dom) for complaining about the lack of luxurious accomodations on the island, and of course, for sticking out like a sore thumb for being Asian.
- In Medias Res: The film doesn't start with Dom and the crew escaping to Dominican Republic; they've been there for five years. Instead, it begins with Tego sitting in prison, where he's singing a snippet of "Los Bandoleros".
- Token Minority: Han is the only Asian character in the film where the rest of the cast is Dominican or non-Dominican Latino (Dom and Letty note ).
